The huge fire now threatens many holiday homes on the Costa del Sol
A huge wildfire is approaching the wealthy resort of Marbella on Spain's Costa del Sol, where the authorities have evacuated thousands of people.
Flames reached the Elviria area on the edge of Marbella early on Friday.
Overnight the fire spread rapidly through a 12km (eight-mile) coastal strip packed with holiday homes.
About 1,000 people have been evacuated from the edge of Marbella, about 3,300 from Ojen and others from a camp site at Alpujata, Spanish media report.
Two people have suffered serious burns and some homes have been engulfed by the fire.
The Costa del Sol is one of Spain's most popular holiday destinations and home to a large British expatriate community.
Marbella is famous for its up-market hotels and villas - it is a favourite haunt of wealthy foreigners.
Much of Spain's countryside was left tinder-dry this summer by a prolonged heatwave. There have been major wildfires in northern Catalonia - near the Pyrenees - and on La Gomera, in the Canary Islands.
A change in wind direction has given firefighters hope that the blaze can be contained soon.
More than 250 firefighters are battling the blaze, helped by 17 aircraft, Spain's El Pais news website says.
The fire started on Thursday afternoon in the Sierra Negra area of Coin, near Malaga and has now affected an area of some 1,000 hectares (2,471 acres). It cut part of the AP-7 highway and it is not yet clear how many homes have been damaged or destroyed.
A huge wildfire is approaching the wealthy resort of Marbella on Spain's Costa del Sol, where the authorities have evacuated thousands of people.
Flames reached the Elviria area on the edge of Marbella early on Friday.
Overnight the fire spread rapidly through a 12km (eight-mile) coastal strip packed with holiday homes.
About 1,000 people have been evacuated from the edge of Marbella, about 3,300 from Ojen and others from a camp site at Alpujata, Spanish media report.
Two people have suffered serious burns and some homes have been engulfed by the fire.
The Costa del Sol is one of Spain's most popular holiday destinations and home to a large British expatriate community.
Marbella is famous for its up-market hotels and villas - it is a favourite haunt of wealthy foreigners.
Much of Spain's countryside was left tinder-dry this summer by a prolonged heatwave. There have been major wildfires in northern Catalonia - near the Pyrenees - and on La Gomera, in the Canary Islands.
A change in wind direction has given firefighters hope that the blaze can be contained soon.
More than 250 firefighters are battling the blaze, helped by 17 aircraft, Spain's El Pais news website says.
The fire started on Thursday afternoon in the Sierra Negra area of Coin, near Malaga and has now affected an area of some 1,000 hectares (2,471 acres). It cut part of the AP-7 highway and it is not yet clear how many homes have been damaged or destroyed.
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